REQUIRED READ!

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PICK UP DAY- Pick up day is the day which is on the contract. I’m okay if you have to pick up a day or two before or after the contract date. Anything longer will require payment in full and subsequent  Boarding Fees Applied. 

I try and plan for all the kittens to go home the same day so kittens aren’t left without mom (mom will be weaned at this point) alone without their siblings and left without meeting their new parents. :(

If you signed the contract, then I presume you’re okay with the pickup date thats stated and later on we can discuss times that work best.  Times that work for me are typically 12:30pm-5:00pm on week days and 10:00am-12:00pm on weekends. 

We will meet at a location and time confirmed 2 weeks before pickup.

• If you are flying in to pick the kitten up, I will meet you at my local airport which is Rhode Island (Providence), T.F. Green International Airport. 

FOOD- The kitten is free fed hard food "Royal Canin- Mother & BabyCat" (free fed means always having access to it). The kitten also gets wet food morning and night. The wet food I've been using is Fancy Feast Kitten, Fancy Feast Gravy Lovers and Fancy Feast Pate (not kitten) variety pack. Each day I try to give a different flavor to encourage the kitten to eat. Sprinkle Kitten Probioticson all soft food (I get mine off Amazon, if you have questions please email me)! This will protect the kittens gut and prevent an upset tummy and runny stools. 

If you want to use different hard food, SLOWLY make the change, and make sure it’s kitten hard food for the 1st year. 

How to switch hard food-  add a little of the food you want to switch to, and every day add a little more until it’s mostly all of the new food, and then make the switch. Probiotics can help with the switch as well.

• Add Water- Something I like to do with my canned food is add a little water and mix all together. Cats are known to not drink enough water, so adding just a little water can make all the difference and hydrate the little one. 

When you guys get home from picking the baby up, I recommend giving him/her some canned food mixed with water and probiotics as she/he could be stressed in the new environment and this will help calm and hydrate the kitten.  

• Ages for food:

Royal Canin “Mother & Babycat”- 10 weeks-1yr of age

Royal Canin “Kitten”- 1 year old+

After the kitten is 1 years old, you can switch to a young adult food. The kitten food will not hurt an older cat, it just has more nutrients and calories for a growing kitten which can cause your cat to gain a little extra weight. If your kitten is over weight, I do not recommend keeping them of kitten food after a year of age. I know an overweight cat can be “cute” but obesity can cause a cat a lot of of serious issues such as diabetes, joint pain, heart disease, respiratory problems, liver disease, urinary tract problems, and ultimately shortening their life. 

• Soft Food- I feed my kittens and adult cats canned food morning and night. My adult cats (1yr+ in age)each get about two large tablespoons of canned food mixed with water in the morning and again in the evening. The reason I mix with water is to keep them hydrated. Any trick to keep them hydrated is encouraged! 
• Kittens 10 weeks to 1yr- Give your kitten at least a half of canned food morning AND night, if not a full can morning and night. Whatever they will eat is a plus, I like to keep my kittens full and healthy as they grow very fast and can use the extra calories. If it’s pate’ mix it with water and make it mushy. Add Kitten Probiotic Powder to all canned food!
• Raw/soft food only diet- I have never personally done a raw/soft food diet (no hard food) with my cats. I hear mixed reviews on it and do not have enough knowledge or experience to guide you in this area. If you want to do this or are thinking about it, please do all your research and most important, talk to your vet about it. 

KITTEN PROBIOTICS- I sprinkle probiotic on all canned food. This is important to keep their gut balanced and to prevent belly aches and runny stools.

WATER FOUNTAIN- I recommend getting a cat water fountain (Amazon) to inspire the kitten to drink more water throughout the day. Cats tend to like running water more than sitting water. It took my cats about a 1 month to start liking my fountain, and now they love it. Also, my cats LOVE the bathtub/shower. Once in a while I’ll let my tub drip with water and they are entertained for hours with this and also drink it. Another idea which I have done is putting a bowl of water in the shower.

BOWLS- I use very shallow bowls for food and water. The kitten is still very small, so dunking their whole head in a bowl to get a bite or drink is tough. Shallow bowls mean water goes faster and gets dirty faster. So make sure you keep an eye out for that. Once the kitten is bigger you can obviously go bigger with his bowls. For instance, my adult cats love drinking out of my dog’s water bowl. TIP: Change water DAILY if not a few times a day, cats LOVE clean/fresh water and this will encourage them to drink more!  Metal or Ceramic bowls for hygene.

LITTER- All my kittens are using clay clumping litter without scent. I prefer crystals or pellets as adults but kittens tend to eat the crystals/pellets and it’s VERY important to monitor that she/he is going potty. No pee or poop means no eating and/or drinking. The reason why I want you guys to start off with clay clumping litter without scent is because it clumps up the pee. Crystal/pellets dissolve the pee, so you don’t know if the kitten is peeing or not. "Purina Tidy Cats Free and Clean Unscented Clumping Multi Cat Litter" is the litter I’m using for the kittens.

Most people like scented cat litter because it helps with the smell, but scents are harmful to cats and especially kittens so make sure you don't get the scented ones. Cats breathe in the artificial fragrance, which is much stronger for them. The dust from the litter can cling to their fur and they are forced to smell it all day. Cats can ingest this artificial litter if they clean their paws, and in a lot of cases these litters have not been tested for toxicity. 

LITTER BOX- Please use a litter box WITHOUT a lid or door. The kitten is used to an open litter box in the middle of the room that he/she can jump in and out of and can find easily. I recommend getting several litter boxes once you introduce the whole house to him/her. Once the kitten is more established and grown, you can use any litter box you like. 

TOYS- Take small bells off any toys. I have heard of numerous stories of cats/kittens getting their teeth and nails stuck in the small bells on toys. Crunchy toys, springs, and toys that roll around and make noise are always a BIG hit with the kittens. Even a ball of paper can be entertaining to them. I recommend getting a scratcher and putting it near the couch or in your living room to prevent the kitten from scratching the couch. Cat trees and cat tunnels are forever entertainment for the kitten as well. A toy ALL of my cats enjoy together is a laser. This will cause them to play together and exercise. Some people may say it’s mean to use a laser because they can never catch it. My girls love it and the second they hear my drawer open to grab it, all of them are downstairs ready to play. 

CATNIP- Kittens should not have catnip until they are 6months-1years old. I’ve heard many different things about this, but I would rather be on the safer side and keep catnip away from kittens till the appropriate age which is 6months-1year old.

BED- Kittens like small confined areas with soft blankets where they feel safe. So any small beds (you can look on Amazon for kitten beds) or a small cat house with an area she/he can hide and sleep would be ideal. 

PLAYPEN: it’s a very smart idea to get a pop up playpen that’s similar to a little zip up tent (Pet Play Pen/ Zip Up Playpen Amazon). Put it in the middle of your living room and have the baby stay in it for the first few days. This is a great way to introduce your kitten to any other animals you may have (smell each other) or just getting used to the environment and preventing the kitten from hiding. This will eventually be the kitten's “safe place”.  This is how I've introduced every single cat I've owned to the pack/dog/environment and it has never let me down. 

CAT CARRIER- please remember a cat carrier when you come to pick the litter one up. I use to like the soft top carriers but I find a lot of them dip in the middle leaving the kitten feeling crowded. So I’ve been using a hard case carrier or a soft case carrier that has a solid body to it so it doesn’t collapse n the middle. If you are flying, soft top carrier is the only allowable carrier which has to fit under the seat in front of you. 

BRUSH, CLIPPERS, FACE- I would get a brush so you can brush him/her and that allows you guys to bond. If you have another cat, brush them with the same brush so they can get used to each other's scent. As a kitten you’ll want to purchase a soft bristle brush because their coats aren’t plush and dense yet. So the sharp metal bristles can hurt.

Also, nail clippers. It's always good to clip the kitten's nails every few weeks and have him/her get used to it while they’re young. 

Have some cotton pads on hand. They can be messy eaters with canned food. Warm water and a cotton pad will be best to clean them up. If you get the kitten's face wet, make sure to always dry it. You don’t want him/her catching a chill and then possibly getting sick. Just from my experience, I don’t like to use any cleaning wipes or pads for pets because they have a lot of chemicals in them and it's harsh on their faces especially if it gets in the eyes. 

EYES- It's common for kittens to have running eyes from time to time, especially after eating wet food. Get warm water and a cotton ball and pat the kitten's eyes, then pat with a dry cotton ball. Don’t use anything else on their face, even if it says it's for the eyes. A lot of pet eye cleaners have harsh chemicals in it and can burn the kittens eyes/face. All you need is warm water and to be consistent with the cleaning. If you notice your cat’s eyes are a little more runny than usual and irritated, Terramycin is my go to! Every now and then my cats go places where theres a lot of dust or they get allergies and I use Terramycin morning and night for a few days and it clears it right up. You can buy this gel on Amazon. Wash your hands well, put a little on your finger and pat directly on the affected eye. 

EARS- Folded ears or not it’s important to clean their ears and check them frequently. NEVER spay, drip or pour fluids directly in the ear, unless advised by a vet. If the ear doesn’t look dirty simply leave it alone, no need to clean and cause your cat discomfort. It its looking like it needs a clean grab a cotton ball or cotton pad (something soft) and wipe out the gunk. You do not need to go deep, you do not need to wet it or use any ear cleaners. If you feel like you need something wet, use warm water and damp the cotton ball/pad and clean it. 

BATH- Cats/Kittens do not need to be bathed. They are very good at grooming themselves to stay clean. You can help them with their face, eyes, paws and ears, but you do not need to wash them in a tub. If you want to give them a bath that's fine, just make sure you blow dry them completely dry after so they do not catch a chill and get sick and to use appropriate shampoo for cats. 

REST- For every 1 hour of playtime the kitten will need 2 hours of rest. I can’t stress this enough on how important it is for the baby to have rest so she/he can focus on eating, drinking and potty time. The rest area should be in a playpen, or a room where he/she is alone with no distractions.

COLLARS- I highly recommend NOT putting a collar on your cat/kitten for many reasons. I have heard horror stories about cats getting their collar stuck on something and ultimately strangling themselves. Another reason being collars with bells and constant jingling can cause anxiety and stress in the cat. 

OUTSIDE- If you want to bring your cat outside that is fine, a recommend having the cat on a harness or in an inclosed area such as a screened in deck. I do NOT recommend letting them wander on their own especially without supervision. These are not barn cats, they do not have survival skills or instincts. These are boujee cats that need to always be protected. 

SHOTS- Panleukopenia, Rhinotracheitis & Calicivirus: 3 Rounds

• Kitten's FIRST shot is with the Breeder
• SECOND shot should be given 3-4 weeks after first shot's date (the date of the first shot will be on the kittens record you will be given)
• THIRD and final shot should be given 3-4 weeks after second shot's date
• RABIES should be given 3-4 weeks AFTER third shot's date 
• NEVER DOUBLE UP ON SHOTS, even if your vet says it’s okay. 

VET- Any time you get a new fur baby, you should always make a "wellness" vet appointment within the first 48 hours. MAKE APPOINTMENT NOW.  Waiting will make it hard for the vet to get your kitten seen within 72 hours.  Make sure the kitten does NOT get his/her second shot during this time OR ANY FLEA/TICK medication because the kitten is naturally going to be stressed from all the new changes which makes their immune system vulnerable. Adding medication, shots, flea/tick on top of that can be LIFE THREATENING.  You will have a health record from me showing the first vaccination, dewormer, birthday, food, and so forth that you can show your vet. This is a good time to talk with your vet and schedule their second vaccine that's due in 2 weeks and also discuss an appropriate time to get the kitten fixed. 

FLEA & TICK MEDICATION- Flea and Tick medications have been causing seizures in dogs and cats as well as neurological issues after taking the medication.  These are indoor cats and there is no reason to give them any sort of Flea & Tick treatment. If you truly believe your cat needs Flea and Tick medication, please speak to your vet about an alternative. 

PET INSURANCE- We now have partnered with Trupanion Pet Insurance. No wait period and the first month is free. You must activate 24 hours before or after picking up your kitten. You must call 1-855-266-2156 within 24 hours of going home to activate your offer. The Promo Code is: BR1EC4923 and NY Promo Code is: BR2EC4923.  WE RECEIVE NO KICK BACKS Etc.... for this recommendation, we think one month free is ease of mind for buyer and seller.  PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO DO THIS!  You can cancel before a dime is spent, such a benefit.